thefictionvixens Chapter 53 Power, that thing, it's fucking awesome!
Chapter 53 Power, that thing, it's fucking awesome!
They verbally condemn power as filth, yet they wield it with more gusto than dung beetles rolling dung.
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Zeng Jia was so busy in Hong Kong that her feet were practically burning with heat. Every day, besides struggling with stir-fried beef noodles, she was spinning like a top in an office building. Victoria Harbour, which had been printed in her textbooks since she was a child, was right in front of her, but she never had time to take a look. Today, she finally found a moment to catch her breath and take a stroll.
She wandered around aimlessly, browsing through tea restaurants, scrolling through short videos on her phone intermittently. Finally able to clear her mind and act like a fool for a moment, Zeng Jia felt as if her soul had lightened considerably.
But as she was gesturing with her fingers, she suddenly froze. She quickly pulled them back, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
On the screen, a blogger with his face covered up more tightly than someone robbing a bank is live-streaming an attack, saying that a certain e-commerce bigwig is selling a pillow for 19.8 yuan, which is touted as amazing, but once you peel back the layers, you'll find that it's no different from a high-end product that costs 600 yuan, except for the different hype, the cotton stuffing inside is exactly the same!
The keywords were popping up like dumplings being dropped into a pot: "lower-tier market," "harvesting韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting consumers)," and "IQ tax"—they were practically just about to reveal Zhang Zhishan's ID number!
Several entertainment bloggers who are usually completely unrelated to Zhang Zhishan also jumped on the bandwagon and dug up Zhang Zhishan's ancestral graves. The number of viewers in the live broadcast room soared, and the trending search terms on social media platforms have been "Zhang Moumou is blinded by greed" and "Zhang Moumou defrauds consumers".
Zeng Jia's heart sank instantly. Someone was definitely using a dog to bite someone from behind. Was it Yu Li? Zeng Jia couldn't help but sneer at herself. She had just advised Zhang Zhishan not to play dirty, and this elegant and respectable President Yu had already made her move!
Before she could even dial the number, Zhang Zhishan called first. His voice was hoarse, as if a chicken's neck had been stepped on: "This is an uproar! Find Shi Jun right now, he has connections to smooth things over. This matter must be dealt with immediately, or it will be ruined!"
Upon hearing the name Shi Jun, Zeng Jia felt a chill run down her spine. Lately, she had been giving Shi Jun a hard time, making excuses and preventing him from coming to Hong Kong over the phone.
Going to their door now to ask for help? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble? But things were urgent, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and dial the number.
Shi Jun was quite straightforward and blunt on the phone: "Sure, come back and see me, and I'll take care of it."
With just a casual remark, she had to rush back? Zeng Jia gritted her teeth and finished reporting to Zhang Zhishan, then rushed back to the hotel, grabbed her suitcase, and headed to the airport, painfully swiping her card for a first-class ticket.
When she landed in Beijing, it was already 10:30 p.m. She contacted Shi Jun, who said he was at Rosewood and told her to come find him there.
Meeting at a hotel in the middle of the night? Zeng Jia cursed inwardly. She wanted to get things done, but she didn't want to ruin herself for Zhang Zhishan. At least for now, she absolutely couldn't agree to sleep with Shi Jun.
She made a phone call and a Maybach arrived at the Rosewood Bar. Shi Jun was chatting with a group of AI guys. Those guys were really down-to-earth; they weren't talking about how AI would change the world, but rather enthusiastically discussing how to stuff their own stuff into large models to make money faster.
The most exciting idea is actually "AI fortune telling". In this day and age, with the economy in a slump, people are panicking like headless flies. Spending 9.9 yuan to find out if you can turn your life around and become a nouveau riche is a sure-fire way to make money!
Normally, Zeng Jia might have joined in the fun, but today her feet didn't even touch the ground. She sat there feeling like she had thorns growing on her butt. She endured until 2 a.m. before this mess finally broke up.
Shi Jun was flushed and hadn't driven, so Zeng Jia quickly stepped forward and said, "Mr. Shi, shall I give you a ride? The driver is waiting outside."
Shi Jun squinted his mischievous triangular eyes and scanned her up and down: "Bringing your own driver? Are you worried I'll drag you upstairs to a hotel?"
Zeng Jia forced a smile across her tired face: "I'm in a real bind, Mr. Shi. Besides, you summoned me, and I flew back from Hong Kong without stopping..."
"When I asked you out, you made all sorts of excuses, like you were dodging a debtor. You're really willing to go to such lengths and lose face for your boss's sake? What did Zhang Zhishan do in his past life to have such a devoted secretary like you?" Shi Jun said sarcastically, his jealousy evident.
"I...I really can't get away!" Zeng Jia pleaded, "How about you set a time? I'll ask General Manager Zhang for leave, and I'll make sure you, General Manager Shi, are well taken care of!"
Shi Jun sank into the sofa, crossed his legs, and said, "Don't bother with that. Now, come upstairs, and I'll get it done for you right away."
Zeng Jia cursed inwardly, her smile vanishing instantly. "Impossible. This salary isn't worth all my effort. If President Shi doesn't agree, fine, I'll just quit."
Shi Jun stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled. Without saying a word, he casually swiped his phone screen.
Zeng Jia's mind was in turmoil. What was going on here? If it was going to work out, at least let her know. Even if the negotiations fell apart, she could at least give Zhang Zhishan a reply.
As she was pondering this, her phone suddenly buzzed. A message came from the public relations department: all the posts exposing the allegations had been deleted, and the people who made the allegations had all been permanently banned!
Zeng Jia looked at Shi Jun, her eyes wide open.
Shi Jun waved his phone smugly, "I always keep my word..." He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and reeked of alcohol, "You really think I'm going to eat your two ounces of meat? If you actually agreed, I'd rather not have it!" He paused, then added, "On Friday, come home with me to cook dinner for Grandma. That's not a difficult request, is it?"
Zeng Jia gasped, then quickly forced a smile. "Okay! I'll go home with President Shi on Friday!"
Power is a damn good thing; you can beg for it faster than kowtowing to Buddha.
Zhang Zhishan breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving Zeng Jia's message. He truly hadn't expected Yu Li to be so ruthless. It was also thanks to Shi Jun, that "Buddha," otherwise this barrage of attacks would have caught him completely off guard. He was also quite surprised that Zeng Jia, this little girl, could actually manage to get Shi Jun under her thumb. Impressive, she's got some skills. But Yu Li bit him first; could he really let it go? She's still too green to play this dirty game!
He picked up the phone and dialed the public relations department directly, "Tell the people at Bilibili that you have to destroy Yu Li's side. Once you've handled this matter well, then you can talk to me about recruiting her."
Just two days later, Tianyi's high-end luxury goods line was hit with a bombshell: a customer spent a lot of money to buy a bag, only to find out at the boutique that it was fake!
The customer also recorded a video, specifically calling out Yu Li for an explanation!
Wang Haowen gripped his phone, clicking his tongue in frustration. It was obvious from the bald man's head that this was Zhang Zhishan's counterattack. He'd told him long ago not to play tricks on Zhang Zhishan, so why wouldn't he listen? Now, not only did he have to appease the furious customer, but the brand was also directly blaming Yu Li.
The remaining twenty-nine signs all perked up their ears to watch the spectacle, making the scene look like a major car accident.
On the phone, Yu Li was also exhausted. She really didn't expect Zhang Zhishan to be so ruthless, that several big entertainment bloggers had their accounts banned across the entire internet.
After discussing it, the two decided they still had to find Song Yaxuan. They weren't afraid of the consumers causing a huge uproar, as long as they could keep the brand in check. Shifting the blame to this brand was one of the thirty people Song Yaxuan had brought in; at this point, only the Song family's influence could put out the fire quickly.
Wang Haowen called, and Song Yaxuan actually answered. Her voice was sweet, arrogant, and barbed: "Who is it? Wang Haowen? You've been in Shanghai for over twenty days and haven't been seen once. Now you're looking for me? Why should I bother with you?"
Wang Haowen was indeed avoiding her, but now he had to force a smile: "I've been so busy I'm practically running around like a headless chicken, I haven't had a moment to meet you. You're the PR director for our Tianyi Luxury Line, you should step in when necessary!"
"Beg me," Song Yaxuan drawled. "Beg me properly, and if I'm in a better mood, I might consider helping you."
"Can we separate business matters from personal matters? This is a matter of utmost urgency!" After saying this, Wang Haowen suddenly felt that the words sounded familiar. He instantly remembered that Zeng Jia had said the same thing to him when they had argued.
He couldn't distinguish between public and private matters back then, and now he's getting his comeuppance?
"I don't care!" Song Yaxuan acted like a rogue, throwing a tantrum. "I'm unhappy right now. You have to cheer me up first, then I'll see if I'll help you!"
"Song Yaxuan," Wang Haowen's impatience finally broke down, and his usual good attitude vanished. "Do you really think I'm here to beg you? Are your family's shares in Tianyi just for show? It's true the shares are in your uncle's name, but the money is flowing into your mother's account. Some accounts are better left unresolved than left unresolved!"
The phone suddenly went silent. After a few seconds, a calm yet shrewd female voice spoke: "Xiao Wang? Xuanxuan and I are having afternoon tea at Bulgari. Would you like to come over?" It was Mrs. Song who spoke.
Wang Haowen's heart skipped a beat; he was facing a mother-daughter double attack! But he wasn't one to back down easily. He met the challenge head-on with enthusiasm, "Alright, Mrs. Song, please wait a moment, I'll be right there!"
Mrs. Song was far more shrewd than her daughter. When Wang Haowen arrived at Bulgari, the brand's operations director was already standing there respectfully like a security guard on standby, his back bent like a reed about to break, not daring to breathe loudly.
The discussion among the three was ridiculously simple. There was no heated debate, no thorough verification, and in fact, there wasn't much discussion at all. The brand representative simply made a suggestion, Mrs. Song nodded, and Wang Haowen listened. They deftly shifted the blame to the logistics company, fired an unlucky deliveryman, and that was it.
As for whether the goods are genuine or fake? Who cares? The brand wants to save face, the Song family wants to save face, and Yu Li wants to get away unscathed. Only the fired courier has to pay the price for this group's scheming. He lost his job, his livelihood, and may even be labeled as "negligent" and unable to work in the industry anymore.
Wang Haowen once again savored the situation; the Song family's influence was indeed extraordinary. No wonder Yu Li went to such lengths to curry favor with them. Just one phone call, and the brand representatives were there faster than delivery drivers, without a single word of protest, as if their spines had been removed. Power is something everyone despises, yet everyone desperately wants to obtain it because it's so damn convenient to wield.
Wang Haowen took out his phone and reported the situation to Yu Li in a low voice. Mrs. Song also sent the brand representatives away. She elegantly invited Wang Haowen to sit down and chat. "Little Wang, you're a bit clever and bold, and you handle things fairly well. You're somewhat useful. But I don't like you."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Wang Haowen from head to toe, her contempt undisguised: "Your family is poor, and I won't stop you from climbing the social ladder by clinging to Xuanxuan. It's human nature to strive for higher positions and to curry favor with the powerful. But you need to understand your place, what you should and shouldn't do, and you must know the proper rules."
These words struck Wang Haowen's pride like a needle. He clenched his fist, recalling Wang Yuelai's cursing words, "I've lived half my life, there's no reason for me to be your grandson."
"Thank you for your advice, Mrs. Song. Mr. Yu said that he will personally return to Shanghai to thank you after he finishes his work." He simply ignored the matter.
Mrs. Song sneered upon hearing this, her laughter practically overflowing with sarcasm, as if mocking his overestimation of his abilities. "Playing dumb is pointless. I have no interest in beating around the bush with you." As she spoke, she slowly picked up her Hermes bag, her movements unhurried. "Go back and tell Yu Li that in this cooperation in Shanghai, Xuanxuan must hold shares, and they must be core shares. If she's thought it through, she should come and talk to me in person. If she's not, then don't blame the Song family for no longer offering any help."
After saying those two sentences, she didn't even give Wang Haowen a second glance before turning and leaving. Song Yaxuan followed closely behind. When she passed Wang Haowen, she deliberately raised her chin, her arrogant and teasing gaze as if she were looking at a pet dog.
Watching their departing figures, Wang Haowen felt a surge of unease. The Song family wasn't helping Yu Li at all; they were clearly waiting for her to stumble in the bet so they could reap the benefits and be the ones to profit from it!
He couldn't help but sigh heavily. He had told Yu Li long ago not to act recklessly, but she wouldn't listen. The empire he had painstakingly built up was now being easily taken away by the Song family.
He didn't dare to delay any longer and immediately dialed Yu Li's number, explaining Mrs. Song's demands in detail...